Diesel set for major fuel price decrease in 2026

With the way things are going, it seems increasingly likely that South African diesel motorists will get a well-earned fuel price cut, while petrol drivers may still be on the hook come January 2026. The Central Energy Fund (CEF) predicts a major price cut — in the ballpark of 60c/l — for the country’s diesel drivers, while petrol drivers stare down the possibility of a minor 7c/l increase.

It’s diesel’s time to shine in 2026

We should note that the CEF’s figures below are not final and are subject to change. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is officially responsible for adjusting fuel prices every month — typically on the first Wednesday — while the CEF tracks the economic factors that influence the price of fuel locally.

It gathers that data in conjunction with the DMRE and offers South Africans an insight into the coming fuel price adjustments, even weeks in advance. With the first Wednesday of 2026 falling on 7 January, it’s unlikely the official adjustments will look like the ones below, but it does tell us we’re headed in the right direction.

A lot has changed since the CEF’s early predictions in December, which initially saw petrol drivers facing a far larger increase, while diesel motorists had a smaller decrease to look forward to. Should the Rand/US Dollar exchange rate worsen for South Africa, or the price of oil globally increase — the two biggest factors driving the price of fuel locally — residents could be in for a nasty surprise come January.

Whatever the case, we’ll keep you informed of the fuel price movements throughout December.

Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions (so far) for January 2026: